//Pickens County Schools to revert to Phase 2 as Covid-19 Infections Rise
pickens county school phase 2 attendance plan

Pickens County Schools to revert to Phase 2 as Covid-19 Infections Rise

A surge in COVID-19 cases is prompting one Upstate county to implement more restrictions. Justin Dorsey has the story. Pickens will stream the meeting here.

Note From Pickens County Superintendent

Over the past two weeks, the number of students and employees who are under state-mandated quarantine orders has increased rapidly. As of the writing of this email, 440 students and 50 staff members are under active quarantine due to having caught or come in close contact with COVID-19. As we investigate each of these cases, what we have found is that the vast majority of close contacts have occurred outside of school. We cannot control activities outside of school and need your help.

COVID-19 cases are currently surging in Pickens County. According to data from the S.C. Department of Health & Environmental Control, the current 7-dayaverage of cases for our county hit its highest point ever yesterday, and we have one of the highest infection rates per capita of any county in the state. Data by ZIP code for our county also reveals that the surge is not limited to one community–it is widespread.

As our school staff works extremely hard each day to make our school environment safe, I would ask that you respect those efforts by taking precautions in the community as well. Specifically, you can help in five ways:
1.Wear a mask in public.
2.Avoid large indoor gatherings.
3.Stay home/keep your child home when sick.
4.Get tested immediately if you display symptoms of COVID-19.
5.Communicate with your child’s principal or school nurse if your child or someone in your home has been exposed to COVID-19.

Our ability to continue in-person school depends on getting the virus under control in our community. Our parents and community members have been excellent partners in making the best of a difficult school year.

Current District Covid-19 Data